Yamaha A5000 Professional Sampler

Ever since the introduction of sampling technology, virtually every rackmount sampler on the market has been just that — a sampler — and nothing more. Sure there have been advancements in sound quality and the addition of digital effects, but the basic concept has remained the same — UNTIL NOW. Announcing the arrival of the revolutionary A5000/A4000 — professional samplers with the power not only to create sounds, but to shape them in a way never before dreamed possible.

Impressive Specs

The A5000/A4000 have impressive specs for a sampling unit. Both models are expandable with up to 128 MB of RAM and can accommodate an Internal Hard Drive and Internal Zip® Drive simultaneously. The A4000 provides 16 Multitimbral Parts and 64 Notes of Polyphony, while the A5000 gives you nearly double the power with 32 Multitimbral Parts and 126 Notes of Polyphony. And for ultimate flexibility and convenience, these samplers are compatible with a wide range of sample formats, including AIFF and WAV among others, and are bundled with special Sample and Parameter Editing Software.

Not Merely "Samplers"

The A5000/A4000 are not merely "samplers" — they are advanced synthesis tools that let you process samples creatively...and easily. Both models provide abundant features for versatile sound production: 16 Types of Ultra Fat Filters that deliver powerful resonance, 96 Types of Effects for creating never-before-heard sounds, a MIDI Syncable LFO with fully programmable waveforms, unprecedented Loop Divide/Remix and Resampling functions, Direct-to-CD Burning capability and much, much more! And with their Large LCD Panel, heavy-duty Real-time Control Knobs and Intuitive User Interface, these samplers are incredibly easy to operate, allowing you to give full concentration to creating your own unique sounds music.

Powerful Filter Section

The A5000/A4000 feature an elaborate filter stage, providing 16 different filter types with complete control over the parameters. Many filter types feature a Q (resonance) setting that can be controlled by keyboard velocity — great for creating expressive acid leads and basses. Along with the standard low-pass, high-pass and band pass filters, these samplers feature many unusual filters such as band eliminate, peak, and dip filters. Also included are several unique multi-mode filters, which let you assign two independent filters to a single sample; a low-pass and high-pass filter for example.

96 Outstanding Onboard Effects

The A5000/A4000 are not just high-quality samplers, they're also highly advanced digital multi-effect processors, exceeding the capability of many professional stand-alone effect processors. The A5000 gives you 6 blocks of effects and the A4000 gives you 3. Each effect block can be assigned any one of the 96 onboard effect algorithms, which include a huge selection of reverbs, distortions, modulation effects and delays, as well as several truly unique effects such as Auto Synth, Tech Modulation, Digital Scratch and an extensively programmable Lo-Fi effect. Most effect types can be applied during the sampling process — combine this capability with the Resampling function and you'll have virtually endless effect processing power at your fingertips. You can even have the A5000/A4000 double as a high-end studio effects processor by assigning effects to the stereo analog inputs.

AN INDISPENSABLE TOOL FOR DANCE MUSIC REMIXING AND PRODUCTION

If you're into sequencing or remixing dance tracks, you'll find the A5000/A4000 are a dream come true. Packed in these samplers is an extensive array of sample editing functions that are ideal for today's dance music.

Loop Divide/Remix

The Loop Remix function divides a sample loop into discrete sections according to preset patterns, and then randomly rearranges their timing and order, while adding reverse, pitch, lo-fi and gate effects in the process. The result is a totally unique, remixed loop. With this function you can instantly create awesome break-beat fills, hip-hop shuffles, and electro grooves...all at the touch of a button. Plus, the remixing process is non-destructive, which means you can freely make as many remixed loops as you want without affecting the original sample. Whenever you come up with a remixed loop that you like, you can store the randomly generated pattern that created it as a User Type for later use. The Loop Divide function automatically slices a sample loop into several parts according to the beat, while simultaneously assigning each part to a different note. This allows you to compose your own remixes by playing the sample parts manually on a MIDI keyboard.

Resampling

Once you get your hands on the A5000/A4000's Resampling function you'll be amazed at how easy and convenient it is to match the pitch and tempo of your samples to the rest of your sequenced tracks. Pitch Convert mode lets you change the pitch of a sample without altering the speed. Time Stretch mode lets you change the speed of a sample without altering the pitch. Speed variations can be calculated based on tempo, length beat or time, according to your preference. If you like to compose tracks by sampling rhythm loops from multiple sources, resampling is a function you can't do without.

MIDI Syncable LFO with Programmable Waveforms

Not only do the A5000/A4000 feature independent LFOs for each sample, but also a master Program LFO — a MIDI syncable LFO exclusively for samples assigned to the Program setup. By setting the cutoff modulation source of any sample to Program LFO, you can have the cutoff frequency sweep according to the rate and waveform of the LFO. StepWave, one of the 6 Program LFO waveforms, expands your modulation capability by allowing you to set up to 16 "steps" within an LFO cycle to control the modulation effect. You can program the modulation level of each step yourself, or have the A5000/A4000 randomly generate the waveform for you. You can even smooth the waveform by adding slopes between each of the steps.

Intuitive User Interface

Navigating through the various functions is remarkably easy thanks to the A5000/A4000's intuitive user interface. Simply select a Mode and Function from the front panel matrix and the parameters associated with that function will be clearly displayed on the bright, easy-to-read 320 x 80 LCD panel. Five panel knobs allow you to open pop-up menus, select values and execute operations quickly and conveniently.

Real-time MIDI Control Knobs (Panel Play)

By selecting the Panel Play function, the A5000/A4000's four right panel knobs become real-time MIDI controllers, allowing you to tweak the sound of the internal samples as well as control external MIDI synthesizers. You can even record the MIDI control data transmitted by each knob into an external sequencer and have all the changes play back automatically.

Consecutive Sampling Function

Have you ever wanted to borrow a friend's drum machine and sample all of its sounds? Or perhaps sample several tracks off of a sampling CD? With conventional samplers, recording multiple sounds in a row can be extremely time consuming since you must go through the sampling setup procedure each time you want to record a new sound. With the A5000/A4000's Consecutive Sampling function, however, you can make as many samples as you want, one by one, without pressing any buttons between samples! Just set the Record Type to "New+" and press GO — the A5000/ A4000 will create a new sample every time an audio signal is detected and automatically pause once the signal stops. Samples will be mapped out automatically in the order that they were recorded, saving you even more time and effort.